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CONS

VERDICT

Shadow Guardian is a pale reflection of its inspiration, but there are still enough unique and genuinely interesting action moments to keep things afloat despite the poor characterizations and story development.

Full Review

App Store Info

There's an adage that goes along the lines of 'show, don't tell' and while it's applied more often to films, it's still quite relevant to video games. Gameloft clearly had this in mind when developing Shadow Guardian, but with so many points of exposition or at least explanation left up in the air, players are left with no choice but to roll with the punches.

Initially players are placed in the roll of Jason Call, our so-deemed hero for the story, in a series of flashbacks to explain why he's currently chained up on a hybrid alien-steampunk device and being interrogated by General Generico "Sit there while I explain my plan" McEvil (note: not his actual name). When you're not subjected to these time jumps you'll be placed in to various beautiful locations around the world and forced to shoot bad-guys who have the common sense to bring ladders with them while you climb over and destroy priceless archeological artifacts to 'see what that button does' (note 2: Call is probably a graduate of the Lara Croft school of archeology... with honors).

Most fights are based around the cover-system which is fairly easy to pick up and use, though it's easy to get your fingers messed up as you switch from one hand to look around to the other in order to fire your weapon while aiming. It doesn't take long to get accustomed to the setup, but when some boss fights make cover irrelevant you'll be wishing there was a better way to switch between moving and shooting. Climbing is all but automated, with giant jutting blocks poking out of walls that require little more than a tap here and a waggle there to complete and after only a couple chapters you'll come to dread the necessity to climb yet another platform.

What's most frustrating about Shadow Guardian is just how close it comes to being genuinely interesting and exciting, with firefights and boss fights picking up the pace perfectly and the beautifully designed environments tempting you to explore them. However the story jumps at times with little to no explanation of what's going on; character motivations; and far too often you'll question Call's sanity as he buzzes away to himself for no reason at all. Shadow Guardian takes an existing formula and drains it of almost all the charm and cohesion that turned it in to such a great title. While there's plenty left in the tank to make this a worthwhile purchase, there's no rush to dive in to this one straight away.

Description

A new hero is born. His name is Jason Call, and this game tells his story.

The mysterious Prima Materia, a powerful and precious relic that has been at the center of occult legends for millennia, has become a real threat. Hidden in a remote temple, it is sought after by a group of dangerous mercenaries that want to acquire its power to enslave the rest of the mankind.
There is one hope, and it’s you.

** Confirm that your device is compatible. Shadow Guardian is only compatible with 3rd and 4th generations of iPod touch (16/32/64GB) devices along with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPad. Before downloading, please check the back of your device to make sure that it meets the system requirements**

A TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Be ready to experience the most gorgeous and fascinating action-adventure game on the App Store thanks to next-gen shading effects and the highest level of graphical detail and animations ever achieved in a Gameloft game.
AN EPIC JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD
Embark on an epic quest with an intriguing scenario. From ancient Egyptian ruins and underwater temples to the frozen Antarctic plains, explore the world and escape the enemy armies that are hot on your heels. Reach the Prima Materia first and save the world.
THERE IS NO TIME FOR REST
• A wide range of weapons available to fight plenty of enemies, from merciless mercenaries to undead creatures and gigantic bosses
• Experience thrilling melee combat sequences inspired by famous fighting styles to neutralize your opponents
• Jump, run, roll and use cover to progress through each detailed level
• Explore fascinating environments and solve puzzles to reach hidden locations

Developed and published by Gameloft

Certain apps allow you to purchase virtual items within the app and may contain third party advertisements that may redirect you to a third party site.

What's New in Version 1.0.1

Screenshots

Comments

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FalloutNewVegas5 years, 11 months ago

Looks like Uncharted with aliens...

talugo5 years, 11 months ago

My first problem us how easy all the under twenty internet trolls will dub this an Uncharted/Gears of War/Tomb Raider rip off which is something that needs to stop. Make it look exactly like Lara and I would still want to play. The visuals are just stunning for the iPhone but it seems like Gameloft can only get so much right.
I have to agree with you, and I'm very glad you spoke about the cover system in your review. There is nothing worst for me than when a game schools you in one mode of play to succeed the whole time only to force you to play differently another time. Some see that as a variety of gameplay or a test of skills, but I liken it to having a first person shooter level in a bowling game.
I am a sucker for crisp looking games so I know I will pick this up eventually, but thanks for the review so I hang on to my money and sanity for just a little while longer. Is it a long game?

andrew5 years, 11 months ago

I didn't manage to clock in my final time, but it took a couple lengthy sessions to complete - even without searching for all the treasure (though I got what I could reasonably see and get). The only thing I could fault in the graphics would be the terrible design idea of every climbable surface requiring jutting bricks, but other than that the graphics were definitely one of the highlights :)